Left Behinds
by Kay Willow
Summary: How a certain human boy impressed a certain Mazoku lord enough to be brought to Shin Makoku as a spy.


**.left behinds.**

"Who are you?" he demanded. The tall Mazoku did not turn around, and his profile was stony and intimidating. Yozak swallowed his pettier emotions and rallied all the courage he could muster. "You came with Dan Hiri-sama-- He must have thought very highly of you."

_He said his last words to you, and you alone._ But they had not been alone.

The Mazoku's eyes were hard and deep like blue diamonds as he finally glanced at the boy, hardly more than darting his gaze sideways. Others of his kind, of his class, might have sneered at the red-headed half-breed brat.

_But Dan Hiri-sama would never have admired you if you had been that sort of man._

"Who are you? I only want to know your name."

Again the Mazoku was silent. The sounds of the residents of the nameless village drifted up the hill to their ears -- some singing sadly, others weeping, and still others discussing the plans for the funeral. It was anyone's guess what the Mazoku lord was thinking.

Yozak fidgeted angrily. He hated thinking of the Mazoku lord in his fine noble clothes with his perfect grooming, looking down on him and the others like him and passing judgment. Nothing in his bearing suggested that the judgment was kind. But the boy knew that he had to have faith... If he couldn't respect Dan Hiri-sama's opinions, his entire life had been a lie.

"Fine, don't talk to me," he said, shrugging as if it didn't matter to him in the least. "Tell Conrad that I look forward to the next time he visits."

It was a risky thing to say, since he had no idea what connection bound Dan Hiri-sama and this Mazoku, and even less of an idea of what bound the boy whose name he had only learned today and this Mazoku. But he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a low voice speak up: "You could tell him yourself."

"Eh?" Yozak said, slow to the uptake. He almost didn't realize it was the Mazoku lord's voice.

"You were watching when that man asked to speak to me alone, weren't you? I saw you in the tree."

Yozak laughed, uncomfortable, flushing just a little -- the curse of his pale complexion giving him away before he could stifle it. "Maybe," he admitted. Eavesdropping was second nature to him, and it had stung more than a little to be shooed away with the other villagers when Dan Hiri-sama was so clearly on the verge of death.

He could never have forgiven himself if he'd missed that moment.

"You heard what he said about me and still think I'm someone to be admired? I hated him. For as long as I knew him."

The boy shrugged. He couldn't exactly explain it, didn't entirely understand the reasons that his hero had spoken of, but that didn't matter. "Dan Hiri-sama knew that and _he_ still admired you."

That was all he needed to know.

Dark hair trailed in the cold, barren wind. The Mazoku lord said grudgingly, "You have a lot of skill, to have gone unnoticed by Dan Hiri. Would you like to work for me?"

_I could work... in a noble house? And no one would make fun of me?_ Suspicious, Yozak said, "What kind of work?" Surely Dan Hiri-sama would not have respected anyone who would indulge in the sorts of child labor his mother had warned him about, but perhaps it was a pity offering, and the lord didn't really have anything in mind, and he would be set to some menial tasks like cleaning the stables or preparing food in the kitchens.

"As a spy," said the lord, cool as if not having noticed his suspicion. "You would receive the standard training as any soldier in the military units, but there are few who have a natural skill and inclination for covert operation. You would report directly to me."

Yozak could only stare at him, stunned by the offer. Upon consideration, even stable or kitchen work in a well-paying, respectable environment was far above anything that the nameless village could ever provide him -- or anything he could ever hope to find for himself while still associated with the village.

A military career, and one that might be interesting, one that might be tailored to his skills...

"You'd pay me, right?" he blurted, and immediately regretted it. _What a stupid, greedy thing to say--_ But it wouldn't be unreasonable to argue that room and board was compensation enough for one of his pitiful economic status.

"Of course."

He named a weekly salary that made the boy's head spin.

_I could send money back to the vilage... I could buy nice clothes... I could buy flowers for Mom and Dan Hiri-sama... And I'd still have money to spend._

Yozak was no fool; he knew that this generosity was spurred by something else. Obligation, guilt, regret. Pity. But he'd be a fool not to take it.

He didn't entirely understand why he asked, "And... I could see that-- Conrad, right?"

The Mazoku lord nodded, curtly. He had to know that no sane half-blood would refuse him, but still he stood there, waiting patiently for a response, his back so painfully straight that Yozak might almost think he expected to be rejected.

"When do we leave," was all the boy said.

Gwendal von Voltaire did not deign to share his name to the boy with whom he traveled for several days, but Yozak did not mind the wondering. He huddled within his jacket with his meager possessions on the journey and dreamed of all the fine things that awaited him, and the life that he would lead.

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(Disclaimer: Fic was written before/circa the end of the second season. Third season info did not apply at the time. Sorry.)


End file.
